Some wireless communication devices, for example, mobile devices, e.g., Smartphones, may be configured to perform the functionality of a tethering device, e.g., a soft Access Point (AP), to provide a tethering service to one or more mobile devices.
The tethering device may be configured to enable data connectivity of one or more mobile devices to a network, e.g., to the Internet. For example, the tethering device may be configured to enable the one or more mobile devices to connect to the Internet via a cellular network, e.g., a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN).
For example, a cellular device may maintain an Internet connection via a cellular network, and may communicate with one or more mobile devices via a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). The cellular device may perform the functionality of a tethering device to share the Internet connection with the mobile devices, for example, by serving as a soft AP to the mobile devices.
In order to provide a tethered link between the mobile devices and the network, the cellular device may be required to utilize two or more link connections of different types of wireless media (also referred to as “Radio Access technologies (RATs)”). For example, the cellular device may be required to use a WLAN link to communicate between the cellular device and the mobile devices, and a cellular link to communicate between the cellular device and the Internet. The two or more link connections may have different characteristics. For example, a cellular link connection may utilize a high mobility technology, e.g., supporting speeds of up to 200 Kilometer per hour (km/h), while a WLAN link connection may be configured to support static or nomadic channel conditions. The differences between the characteristics of the two or more RATs may result in an imbalance between the two or more link connections.
A performance of applications, for example, video-streaming applications, may be substantially affected by a weakest link of the tethering link.
Furthermore, the performance and/or capabilities of a cellular radio of the cellular device may be tailored, e.g., for reasons of cost, for specific capabilities of the cellular device, e.g. a screen size of a Smartphone.
Accordingly, the usage of the cellular device as a tethering device may be limited, and may not be able to provide a required level of performance.